Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Winter Weeding

Normal winter weather held for the first week of the new year. Frost coated everything this morning as a crescent moon rested on the horizon at wake up time. White flies and weeds are taking hold on the plants being over wintered in the basement. Today the weeds were pulled. Tomorrow the pots will be carried upstairs for a shower and an insecticidal soap treatment. Any gardening activity is a treat this time of year.

This pot of lemon verbena displays a good growth of both weeds and white flies. Most years the white flies win and we are left with pots of dead sticks come spring. Last winter we managed to successfully carry three pots of lemon verbena through till spring. The pictured plants are from cuttings that were taken late last winter. Our plan is to try this again. Overwintered plants grow to giants during their second year. Only first year plants are small enough to pot up for an indoor winter.

This rosemary is also a first year cutting. The parent plant was well on its way to a certain demise when the cuttings were taken. The new plant looks healthy although its companion chickweed remains small. These plants are on the landing of the stairs from the basement. The mostly glass door provides a generous amount of sunlight. Two floor level radiators supply the heat while the open stairway generates air currents. This combination of light, heat and moving air makes this area the best location we have to keep these outdoor plants alive during winter.

The first phase of the job is done. Weeds are gone and I have soil under my fingernails. The plants have been turned to force new growth on the sunny side of the plant. This brush with the promise of spring has me wondering how soon seeds can be put to soil under indoor light. The urge to garden seems to be stirring.